Video of Raul Midón performing “State of Mind” on the David Letterman Show; Raul Midón will be starting the 2010 Indy Jazz Fest at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis on September 13

Kicking off the 2010 Indy Jazz Fest will be renowned slap guitarist Raul Midón, a virtuoso guitarist, songwriter, and multi-genre instrumentalist who wows crowds with his soulful crooning and masterful playing. Midón was struck blind in the New Mexico hospital where he was born when he, a premature infant, was placed in an incubator without adequate eye protection. His blindness isn’t apparent beyond the sunglasses he wears; Midón plays with precision and passion, his fingers fluttering effortlessly over the fret board and his fist beating out syncopated percussion at a furious pace. Add his silken tenor and the startlingly pitch perfect mouth trumpet (see his performance on the David Letterman Show, above), and Indianapolis music fans have a thoroughly entertaining performer to set the pace for the rest of the 2010 Indy Jazz Fest.

Video of Raul Midón performing “Sunshine” live; Raul Midón will kick off the 2010 Indy Jazz Fest at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis September 13

Midón, the son of a professional Argentinian folk dancer, took jazz studies at the University of Miami before beginning his career as a backup vocalist for an array of Latin pop bands and artists, including Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, and Ricky Martin. The jazz musician decided to take a risk and explore his own musical passions with a solo career that took him to New York City in 2002. Midón has earned accolades from a variety of media outlets, including NPR, Guitar Player magazine, and a few Indianapolis media outlets. He has three studio albums to his name, 2005’s State of Mind, 2007’s A World Within a World, and 2009’s Synthesis, one live EP, and his self-released debut album, 2001’s Blind to Reality.

Video of Raul Midón performing “Waiting All My Life” live; Raul Midón will be starting the 2010 Indy Jazz Fest at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis September 13

Raul Midón‘s latest, Synthesis, was based largely on demos recorded in Midón’s own home using recording software made accessible to the blind. The record is essentially a session album, with each performance culled from an individual take and literally no looping or sampling involved. Synthesis is an organic and dynamic album that should translate well to the live stage.

Raul Midón will be the opening act of the 2010 Indy Jazz Fest, an honor in the Indianapolis music community. There will be two performances by Midón, one at 7:00 p.m. and the other at 9:30, both on Monday, September 13 at The Jazz Kitchen in Broad Ripple Village. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, so be sure to buy early to get a nice discount to this aspect of the major Indianapolis festival. Raul Midón is just one of many sterling performers that will be spicing up the Circle City during the Indy Jazz Fest, but you can bet he’ll have the fleetest fingers.